The present invention relates, in general, to a tool for cutting and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a retractable saw and knife combination tool that can be used for cutting metal, wood, drywall, plaster and plastic.
There are a wide variety of tools that provide blades in which the blade is either folding or retractable. Some of these tools furnish a saw blade which is enclosed into a handle when not in use and extends out of the handle in a manner similar to a pocket knife when the tool is to be used as a saw. In most of these tools the saw blade extends out of the tool and locks in position so that the handle and saw blade are in a straight line. Some tools provide that the blade can be locked in several different positions.
Other tools that are commercially available provide blades that retract within a handle such as is found in many utility knives. In these tools the blade retracts into a hollow portion of the handle when not in use and extends out of handle and locks in place when it is to be used as a knife. All of these tools are very handy for the worker. However, a worker who has need of a saw and a knife must carry two separate tools in his tool pouch. Carrying both of these tools along with assorted screwdrivers, hammers and other tools requires considerable room in a tool pouch and room in the tool pouch is limited.
Thus, there is a need for a compact, durable pocket device which can provide a worker with a tool which includes both a saw blade and a knife blade which will enable such worker to saw or cut with the same tool.
A first aspect of the invention provides a multipurpose blade member for use in a utility tool, such blade member comprising an elongated metallic strip portion having a predetermined thickness and a predetermined composition and having a first end having a first predetermined width and a second end having a second predetermined width. Such elongated strip portion further has a first elongated edge disposed between such first end and such second end having a first serrated surface and a second elongated edge disposed between such first end and such second end having a second serrated surface, such second elongated edge being radially opposed to the first elongated edge. There is further a means disposed closely adjacent one end of the elongated metallic strip and engageable with the multipurpose blade member and a handle portion of such utility tool for securing the multipurpose blade member to such handle portion of such utility tool.
A second aspect of the invention provides a retractable saw device comprising a handle member having a predetermined configuration and a saw blade member formed from an elongated metallic strip. Such saw blade member is disposed within a cavity formed in the handle member when in a retracted position, and the elongated strip portion of the saw blade member having a predetermined thickness and a predetermined composition, a first end having a first predetermined width and a second end having a second predetermined width. There is a first elongated edge disposed between the first end and the second end, and a second elongated edge disposed between the first end and the second end, at least one of the first elongated edge and second elongated edge having a serrated surface. There is also a means engageable with the saw blade member for connecting the saw blade member with the handle member of the retractable saw device. The retractable saw device further includes a means engageable with the saw blade member for at least one of slidably moving and pivotably rotating the saw blade member to an operable position, the means for at least one of slidably moving and pivotably rotating the saw blade member being at least partially disposed within such handle member and a means engageable with the saw blade member and handle member for locking the saw blade member in an operable position and in the retracted position, such means for locking the saw blade member being at least partially disposed within the handle member.
A third aspect of the invention provides a combination utility retractable saw and knife device that comprises a handle member having a predetermined configuration and a knife blade member disposed within a cavity formed in the handle member when in a retracted position. The knife blade member has a predetermined configuration. There is further a saw blade member formed from an elongated metallic strip. The elongated metallic strip has a predetermined thickness and a predetermined composition, a first end having a first predetermined width, a second end having a second predetermined width. The metallic strip further has a first elongated edge disposed between the first and second ends and a second elongated edge also disposed between the first and second ends with at least one of the first and second elongated edges having a serrated surface. The elongated metallic strip is disposed in one of within a radially opposed cavity formed in a portion of such handle member and attached to an exterior portion of such handle member when in a retracted position, such exterior portion having an enclosure at least enclosing the saw blade member such that edges of the saw blade are not exposed when in a retracted position. Such combination device further includes a means engageable with the saw blade member for connecting it with the handle member and a means engageable with the knife blade member for connecting it with the handle member. There is a means engageable with the knife blade for slidably moving the knife blade member to an operable position, such means being at least partially disposed within the handle member and a means engageable with the saw blade member for at least one of slidably moving and pivotably rotating the saw blade to an operable position, such means being at least partially disposed in one of within the handle member and attached to an exterior portion of the handle member. There is further a means engageable with the knife blade member and the handle member for locking the knife blade in an operable and a retracted position, such means being at least partially disposed within such handle member and a means engageable with the saw blade member and the handle member for locking the saw blade member in an operable position and in a retracted position, such means being at least partially disposed within such handle member or attached to such exterior portion of such handle member.
In a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a tool that in combination with a utility knife having a handle member and a knife blade, the improvement comprises an apparatus for engaging a saw device to the handle member. The apparatus includes a housing member having a predetermined configuration and a saw blade member formed from an elongated metallic strip, such saw blade member is disposed within a cavity formed in the housing member when in a retracted position. The elongated strip portion has a predetermined thickness and a predetermined composition, a first end having a first predetermined width, a second end having a second predetermined width. There is further a first elongated edge disposed between the first end and the second end, and a second elongated edge also disposed between the first end and the second end, with at least one of the first elongated edge and the second elongated edge having a serrated surface. There is further a means engageable with the saw blade member for connecting it with the housing member, a means engageable with the saw blade member for at least one of slidably moving and pivotably rotating the saw blade member to an operable position, such means being at least partially disposed in the housing member, a means engageable with the saw blade member and housing member for locking the saw blade member in an operable position and in a retracted position, such means for locking the saw blade member being at least partially disposed in the housing member, and a means disposed on the housing member for securing such apparatus to the utility knife.
It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a combination tool which contains both a saw blade and a knife blade.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a tool in which the blades are easily replaceable.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a tool in which the saw blade is capable of sawing either metal or nonmetallic surfaces.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tool in which the saw blade can be disposed to saw at a 90 degree angle from the handle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a saw blade with different serrations on opposing sides of the saw blade.
It is yet an additional object of the invention to provide a tool which can combine with a utility knife to provide a saw blade to such utility tool.
In addition to the various objects and advantages of the present invention which have been described in some specific detail above, various additional objects and advantages of the invention will become much more readily apparent to those persons who are particularly skilled in the relevant art from the following more detailed description of such invention, particularly, when such detailed description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing Figures and with the appended claims.